To describe the outcomes and experiences of parents engaging with a multi-disciplinary approach to infant feeding counseling for people living with HIV.
Approach:
Study Design: A retrospective cohort study reviewing electronic records of pregnant PLWH initiating Obstetric care from January 2020 to September 2025.
Data Collection: Demographics, HIV care, participation in the infant feeding support model, and feeding experiences were collected and summarized using descriptive statistics.
Key Findings:
336 PLWH initiated care during the study period.
75 parents considered breastfeeding, 51 completed Pediatric Retrovirology consultation, and 37 breastfed.
No HIV transmissions occurred with breastfeeding; 92% of breastfeeding parents maintained undetectable viral loads.
Median duration of breastfeeding was 47 days.
69% of breastfeeding parents reported challenges contributing to premature weaning.
Only 38% of parents attended two HIV care visits within one year post-delivery.
Interpretation:
The study indicates increasing interest in breastfeeding among PLWH following updated guidelines, but highlights significant challenges in breastfeeding duration and retention in HIV care.
Limitations:
The study is limited to a single institution and may not be generalizable.
Data on long-term outcomes and broader psychosocial factors influencing infant feeding decisions were not collected.
Conclusion:
The findings reflect the complexities of infant feeding decisions among PLWH.
by S. Gogia, A. H. Latham, J. L. Gerard, M. Moore, A. Bailey, K. Momin, E. Barba Gutierrez, S. Gillespie, G. Mirani, M. E. Paul, C. Wallace, J. R. McKinney
